A season ago, general manager Sam Hinkie was looking to unload impending veteran free agents Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes (along with former Temple and Pennsbury High standout Lavoy Allen) to help ensure the Sixers would end up with one of the league's worst records. They went 4-23 the rest of the way after a 15-40 start to finish 19-63 and landed the No. 3 overall pick (injured center Joel Embiid).

Heading into Thursday afternoon's deadline, the Sixers don't have any expiring players they're willing to move of Turner's or Hawes' caliber.

The most valuable impending free agent is steady forward Luc Mbah a Moute, a Brett Brown favorite who is making $4.4 million this season. If Mbah a Moute, who at 28 is having a career-best year, isn't willing to take a pay cut and play a lesser role in 2015-16, it makes sense that Hinkie would look into dealing him by Thursday rather than letting him walk for nothing in July.

The Sixers could take a larger expiring contract in return for Mbah a Moute, as long as it comes with another second-round pick. The Sixers have 16 in the next six drafts, including four on June 25 (from the Magic, Clippers, Rockets and Warriors) despite owing their own second-rounder to the Celtics from the Arnett Moultrie draft-day deal, as well as their own and the Heat's first-round selections (Miami's is top-10 protected).

Jason Richardson also has an expiring $6.6 million contract. He might be a few 5-on-5 scrimmages away from being able to play for the first time in two years, but his value could be to acquire a larger expiring player (and a second-rounder, of course), though the Sixers have the cap space to absorb some significant salaries without including J-Rich.

The Sixers' payroll stands at $44.6 million, which is $12.2 million below the $56.8 million cap floor and $18.4M under the $63 million salary cap.

An NBA source said he expects the Sixers to make a few relatively minor trades, but that they probably won't happen until closer to Thursday's deadline because that's when teams get serious.

The source said the Sixers could again partner with one of the league's teams that must pay the luxury tax, which is triggered by a 2014-15 payroll above $76.8 million. Those clubs are the Nets, Clippers, Cavaliers, Knicks, Raptors and Thunder, with the Pelicans and Lakers apparently less than a million over it.

The Sixers are 12-41 at the break, which is third-worst (just ahead of the Knicks and Timberwolves) but 4-4 in their last eight and playing their best defense of the year.

Adding a difference-maker to help win games over the season's final eight weeks doesn't appear to be part of the plan, just as signing a big-money free agent this summer won't be.

Rather, Hinkie could also be in the market for a young player on a relatively low salary (such as Wroten, who came here in August 2013 from the salary-shedding Grizzlies for a protected second-rounder the Sixers didn't have to part with) that he thinks could contribute as the Sixers try to begin being somewhat competitive as soon as next season.